Sunday, 1st March, 2020
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| A walk in the mountains last Sunday |
Good morning everyone. Today is the 1st March, the start of a new month and spring will soon be here. Yes, my friends, spring is in the air, and it's my favourite month because nature performs its annual miracle and trees and flowers begin to blossom again and that also means summer is on its way.
It felt like spring last Sunday in Montrondo. Eladio kept commenting that so much sunshine in February was a bad sign and that it was thanks to global warming. He is also dreading the rise of temperature this summer and the heat we shall all have to bear in Madrid. There was no heat to bear that day, only lovely sunshine. That morning saw us take a walk up into the mountains where in the shady patches it was freezing cold and the water coming down the path was frozen. I was wary of the icy patches, well remembering my fall on one 5 years ago when I broke my leg. We only wore jumpers and in the shade it was really cold. Soon, though we reached our destination, the "abedular" (birch tree forest) which is out in the open and where it was sunny. There we took photos against the backdrop of the snow clad Tambarón mountain which measure just over 2.100 metres approximately.
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| Eladio wearing one of his sun hats in the mountains last Sunday |
I have been up it twice and it is a hard climb. We did not go up it that day as with so much snow at the top it would have been impossible. We contented ourselves with enjoying the sunshine, sitting down to rest and taking in the scenery by the "abedular". I wondered though whether we would ever climb that difficult mountain again.
We came home to lounge around before lunch. That day saw me abandoning Churchill for the Queen of Spain. I read an article in The Times about a new book on Letizia Ortiz and my interest was piqued. Like many people, I am a bit obsessed with royalty. However, I am not that keen on the Spanish royals. That said, the Spanish queen has an interesting story, having been a journalist before and working for TVE like Olivia. Before announcing her engagement to the then heir of the throne, Prince Felipe, she was one of the main news anchors and a household name. She is not very popular having a reputation of being both controlling and aloof. The book is called "Letizia, the impatient queen" and looked promising. I read it within a couple of days and was disappointed in the end as I hardly learned anything new that I didn't already know. Cross with The Times correspondent now for piquing my interest in a rather banal book and succumbing to click bait.
The rest of the day was spent quietly and mostly indoors. The girls had left Santa Pola, Oli to Valencia and Suzy and Elenita to Madrid. That evening Oli sent us a video of our grandson tasting food for the first time. He is now nearly 5 and a half months old and today's medical guidance is for babies to be breastfed until at least 6 months old and only then to start on food. Miguel and Oli just wanted him to taste food, not to swallow it as maybe he is a little too young. They started with a pear, his very first pear and the video is delightful as it is quite clear he loves the taste. He is a good eater, demanding a lot of feeding so no doubt he will take to food like a duck to water. Apparently not all babies do.
You can see the video here. Isn't he gorgeous?
The most important news on Sunday was the spread of Coronavirus in Italy. Numbers of those affected rose and another person died. The situation got worse with more cases found in Rome, Turin, Venice and Milan. and that day the number of affected rose to 150. It would multiply as the week progressed and there are over 1000 cases as I write today. Worse is the fact that it also lead to spreading the disease to other Europen countries as travelers left the region. In Spain we had our fair share of them with the number going from two or three at the beginning of the week to 58 today. The north of Italy was literally paralysed and even the Carnaval in Venice was cancelled. In Milan schools were closed. I ask myself how is it possible to contain the spread. My friend Sandra's brother Paul lives in Lombardy and his daughter Ambra who is pregnant lives in Milan. Both are very worried. Paul told Sandra the shelves in the local supermarkets were becoming empty. I would be very worried too.
In Spain, the Canary Islands suffered the worst sand storm in its history and there were wild fires in many parts which, because of the strong winds, were difficult to control. Flights were cancelled and people were stranded. I felt sorry for the people evacuated because of the fires and also for tourists who had paid for a holiday in the sun and then had to suffer the sand storm which caused the most tremendous cloud shrouding the islands in dust. It was apparently the worst place to breathe in the world, even worse than notorious Delhi.
We were in Montrondo safe from sand storms and the deadly virus. We always say that if there was a war or something dangerous happened we could always come here. The worst that can happen in Montrondo is a big snow storm but I would secretly love that.
We were in bed late and after a night of tossing and turning I got up at 7.15 or so on Monday morning. It would be another sunny day but the temperatures would descend a little.
That morning, after preparing our lunch, I went on my daily walk, again to Senra, with Pippa. Eladio decided to stay home and hoover the house. Good for him. How lucky I am to have the husband I have. It was sunny with a nip in the air but it soon got too warm and I took off my jumper walking the rest of the way to Senra and back in a short sleeved t-shirt. I was rewarded with lovely bucolic scenes not many people see on a Monday morning; a field of cows grazing in the sun. What a sight for sore eyes.
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| Cows grazing in a field near Senra on Monday morning |
But I hardly saw a soul. Eladio and I commented this week on our walks as we ambled though the villages that we were in the heart of what has become known as the "España vaciada" (empty Spain).I came home to a clean house and thanked and congratulated my dear husband. He was then in turn rewarded with a delicious lunch after which we watched the news. Again the spread of the deadly Coronavirus dominated the news. The WHO announced countries should be prepared for a pandemic as the virus spread worldwide and measures to contain it were increased. In Italy, the number of cases increased and spread to more regions, mostly in the north of the country. Panic seized inhabitants of the 10 or so isolated villages while business stopped, schools closed and food became scarce, not to mention the stocks of face masks. Of course it was far worse in China and countries like Japan, South Korea and Iran have a higher number of cases but Italy is close to home and scares those of us living in this continent more than in Asia.
We were safe in Montrondo of course and glad to be so. That afternoon and evening saw us watch the last episodes of the Netflix series, "Stranger".
Meanwhile, Elliot, Oli and Miguel were back in Madrid. They had lunch that day at his other grandparents' house and no doubt they were glad to see their grandson. He had been to the doctor for a new bout of vaccines and apparently didn't complain much. He is growing so much and now measures 70cm. Thus his pram was getting too small for him. Also he now prefers to sit up. So that day, his parents changed it into a push chair or stroller as it is often called. These days, prams double up as both. Here he is happy to be in his stroller / push chair rather than lying flat in his pram.
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| Elliot in his new stroller |
He was happy too or rather puzzled when his parents let him taste more fruit; apple and banana. Miguel sent me the photo below and a video of him tasting banana for the very first time. For the moment he just sucks, not knowing how to eat and swallow as he has only been fed on breast milk so far.
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| Elliot tasting a banana for the first time in his life |
Bless the little boy. I couldn't wait to see him again. The next day he was to try cereals for the first time from his first bottle. It was mixed with his mother's extracted milk and he drank it avidly. How exciting for him to be tasting food for the first time. No doubt he is going to be a great eater like his father and the rest of us, hahahhahaa.
If I have a great husband, Oli has a great partner. That day he gave her a brand new Samsung Galaxy S10 phone which she did not expect. I told her how lucky she was to have such a great partner and that he must love her a lot. She replied that that was true but reminded me he has a great partner too as she has planned to take him to Stockholm on holiday in March. That was a surprise trip but he found out hahahhaa. Stockholm is a city I love and know well after my years working for Yoigo, a brand of the Swedish telco operator, Telia Group, and often went there. Thus I was able to recommend all sorts of places to visit, eat, shop, etc. They will be staying at my favourite hotel, The Skeppsholmen on the island of the same name which mans "ship island", just a stroll from the Grand Hotel.
I first stayed at that boutique designer hotel in 2011 for a social media conference hosted there by Telia when I worked for Yoigo. I fell in love with it immediately and nearly always stayed there in successive trips to Stockholm. From the outside it looks quite old fashioned but on the inside there are some striking modern elements like the wash basins in the very Scandinavian styled bathrooms with open showers. When I first stayed at this little hotel I wrote a review on Tripadvisor which you can read here.
If you haven't been to Stockholm and ever go I urge you to stay at this little treasure of a hotel, a home away from home and oh so Scandi. I know I shall be enjoying their trip vicariously when they go and wish I could be with them.
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| The islands of Stockholm (some of them) - Skeppsholmen is the small one in the middle. |
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| The Skepposholmen hotel on the outside |
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| The very original wash basins in the bathrooms at the same hotel. |
The other news that day of interest, apart from the Coronavirus and the dust cloud which continued to affect the Canaries, was the outcome of the trial of Harvey Weinstein the Hollywood mogul and sex predator. He was found guilty of rape and sexual assault but unfortunately not of "sexual predatory assault" for which he could have been given a life sentence. His trial comes partly thanks to the "me too" movement. His sentence has yet to be given. I hope he gets the maximum which could be 25 years.
Nearer home, this week we saw a report released by a music guild association in the US on the behaviour of Spain's most famous person in the music industry, none other than the opera singer Plácido Domingo. Many women have come forward to accuse him of harassing them sexually over the years and how his behaviour was a well known fact wherever he worked. The first accusations came some time ago and he denied them. He was however stripped of his job as Director of the Los Angeles Opera and many of his appearances were cancelled. I found it difficult to believe that someone so well loved like Spain's most famous tenor singer could have behaved in such a way abusing his authority over young women who did not report his behaviour for fear of jeaopardising their careers, many times in his hands. But in the report the evidence was out there and Plácido Domingo had no option but to own up saying he took full responsibility for his actions. He could no longer hide from the facts. To his credit of which doesn't have much left, he also apologised to the women in question. He is 79 and was soon to be celebrating his 50th year in music but he may not be doing so now as since the report, many of his concerts have been cancelled. Shame on him but oh how disappointed I am. He was one of Spain's best ambassadors and he has let us down with his inappropriate and disgusting behaviour towards women.
Another nasty piece of news that came out of Spain this week was the story of a Holocaust themed Carnival float with dancing Nazis and death camp prisoners in striped pyjamas from the small town of Campo de Criptana in the province of Cuenca. It came after a similar story in Belgium. What were people thinking I wonder? The Jewish press and the Israeli Embassy in Spain took the news badly. I, myself, found out about this in the international press as there was little in the news in Spain. Later the town council of Campo de Criptana also apologised. It claimed they did not know there would be a float themed on the Holocaust. Thankfully the float in question was stopped from continuing in the Carnival. I am ashamed that such a thing has happened in normally peace loving Spain.
We were in bed early that night and woke up on Tuesday morning to grey skies and more news on the development and spread of the virus. It was freezing cold and rained most of the morning. Thus we stayed inside. Meanwhile in the Canary Islands, already hit by fires and a dust cloud, a new case of Coronavirus emerged. A 69 year old Italian doctor from Lombardy who had been staying at a hotel in Tenerife on holiday was the fourth case of the virus to be diagnosed in Spain - the others had been tourists but recovered. The local authorities thus put his hotel into lockdown on the island where there are about 800 tourists and 200 staff. Gosh, the Coranavirus was now hitting Spain. From Italy that day it also spread to Switzerland, Croatia, Germany Austria where another hotel, in Innsbruck, was put into quarantine, Cases later emerged of one woman in Barcelona and a suspected patient in Madrid. Oh my God I thought, Madrid! That is getting close. That day the Spanish authorities recommended people not to travel to the most affected areas; China, South Korea, Japan, Iran and northern Italy. I would have included the whole of Italy as there the virus has now spread to many more areas and not all in the north. The numbers increased over the week as did panic of the virus. Strict measures were taken in many areas of the world resulting in the closure of schools and businesses and workers urged to work from home. The virus dominated all the news this week. Someone reported that Gatwick airport looked like a ghost town. I am blaming the disease for a decrease in my Airbnb bookings. . People are just not travelling. They are not going to places they fear are crowded and restaurants around the world are seeing bookings drop and airports no shows for flights. Are we going mad? Should we be doing this if, after all, Coronavirus is similar to common flu with a very low mortality rate? The WHO thinks we should and that containment is the only answer to putting off a pandemic. Some think nearly all of us will be affected at one stage. That's fine for people who are healthy, fine for children but not fine for old people or those with other health issues. Is Japan right in closing down all its schools? Should the COI cancel the Olympic Games? The virus is spreading that is for sure but so is panic and that brings terrible consequences, many of them economic. This week saw stock exchanges around the world plummet as people stopped travelling, shops closed and goods from China essential to some businesses just didn't arrive. The only hope, apart from an effective vaccine which could take up to a year to develop, is that this new flu strain recedes as the warm weather begins, as happens with the common flu. I sincerely hope that is the case and then when the flu season comes round again next winter, hopefully we will have a vaccine. That is the best case scenario. The worst case scenario is truly scary. However, we are not talking about a disease like ebola or the Spanish flu of the beginning of the last century which killed off about 50 million people. That, perhaps, is our only consolation as we follow the news of the spread of the virus which at the same time brings us a spread of panic around the world.
Nearer home, this week we saw a report released by a music guild association in the US on the behaviour of Spain's most famous person in the music industry, none other than the opera singer Plácido Domingo. Many women have come forward to accuse him of harassing them sexually over the years and how his behaviour was a well known fact wherever he worked. The first accusations came some time ago and he denied them. He was however stripped of his job as Director of the Los Angeles Opera and many of his appearances were cancelled. I found it difficult to believe that someone so well loved like Spain's most famous tenor singer could have behaved in such a way abusing his authority over young women who did not report his behaviour for fear of jeaopardising their careers, many times in his hands. But in the report the evidence was out there and Plácido Domingo had no option but to own up saying he took full responsibility for his actions. He could no longer hide from the facts. To his credit of which doesn't have much left, he also apologised to the women in question. He is 79 and was soon to be celebrating his 50th year in music but he may not be doing so now as since the report, many of his concerts have been cancelled. Shame on him but oh how disappointed I am. He was one of Spain's best ambassadors and he has let us down with his inappropriate and disgusting behaviour towards women.
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| Plácido Domingo owned up to behaviour towards women after the US music guild report was released this week |
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| A scene from the Nazi and holocaust themed procession in the small town of Campo de Criptana. What a disgusting piece of news to come out of Spain. |
Now back to Montrondo. That afternoon, finally the rain stopped and we were able to go on our walk although we had to wrap up warmly. We just walked to the end of Murias and back which is about 6 km, a bit less than the normal distance for my walks but enough for a cold day. Towards the end of the village of Murias, I came across a new horse, well a new horse for me as I had never seen it before. He was a very friendly chap, coming up to me without me even calling out to it. In English grammar lessons at school I was always taught to talk about animals in the neutral but I have a problem with that and always have as I am such an animal lover. Thus I refer to this horse as both "he" and "it". I'm not sure my English teacher, Miss Speak - a lovely surname for an English teacher - would approve but no doubt she would understand.
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| My new horsey friend |
Eladio who doesn't get as excited as I do when I see four legged animals around the village, waited patiently for me to finish my exchange with the friendly horse, together with Pippa at the end of Murias. I had to have a photo of them for this post. So here it is.
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| Eladio at the end of Murias on our walk on Tuesday afternoon |
After the film about Mary and Anne Boleyn, we went on to watch a cold war spy thriller, "The Coldest Game". It is set in Warsaw during the Cuban missile crisis where an ageing US maths genius has to play in a US-Soviet chess championship. All this was a bit of a relief from the overdose of news about Coronavirus which is so worrying the world and me.
I was up at 6.30 on Wednesday morning, the day of our departure. Eladio was up early too and as soon as we had closed the house down which always takes time, what with washing sheets and leaving them to dry, etc. we left at around 10.30. Before driving home to Madrid, we went to León to see my mother-in-law at her care home where she has been residing since the autumn. We found her in good health, happy to see us but not really sure who we were. That was sad and is sad. I'm so lucky my father's head is all there. We had a quick menu of the day at an uninspiring road side restaurant and were home by about 4.30. Eladio drove all the way and there was very little traffic.
It was good to be home and especially to see my father. He announced, "oh you are my daughter" to which I replied, "yes your 63 year old daughter" and we both laughed. He told me he had been well cared for and immediately asked me for a copy of my latest blog post which of course he got on paper. I love that he loves my blog. I often write it thinking of him. When he could, he used to hand me back the printed copies with little comments, always telling me how much he had enjoyed the post.
All was well at home, except for Andy, our semi permanent guest. The poor chap had fallen off a mountain bike in Gredos this weekend and had literally smashed his face. He looked as though he had been beaten up by thugs but thankfully nothing was broken.
Oli and her family were at their home and we wouldn't see them until Friday. But we get photos every day, some of which I bore you with, like the one below of him sitting on the sofa with his soft ball. Isn't he lovely?
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| Little Elliot happily playing by himself on Wednesday |
Dinner was a light affair and soon we were in bed watching the news again; more on the spread of Coronavirus and specifically that day on Catalonia, Spain's "bete noire". That day, the first of a series of talks between the coalition government and Catalan government took place. It took place in Madrid and we heard later that talks would continue to be held monthly, alternating between Madrid and Barcelona. Nothing concrete emerged, only that the two sides were not in agreement on the main issues; i.e. a referendum on independence and amnesty for the jailed Catalan politicians. So I wonder what they really talked abut for 3 hours if there were no concrete conclusions except for the foregone one above which is not news? Niceties only I wonder or what? These talks were a bargaining chip from the independence parties in exchange for backing the new coalition government. Meanwhile, of course, the opposition parties criticised the talks claiming the Spanish government was playing into the hands of the Catalan independence parties. Well, at least they are talking I thought. I just wonder what they will lead to? More concessions of course but which ones?
Both of us were too tired and sleepy for Netflix that night and were soon asleep.
I woke up on Thursday at 7.20, not bad for me. That morning saw us out and about and doing the weekly shopping to replenish our bare cupboards. Suzy was back and joined us for lunch. There is not much else to tell about Thursday as it was pretty routine. That night we watched - well I watched as Eladio fell asleep - a film called Changeling on Prime video which stars Angelina Jolie. It's a good one I can tell you.
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| A very disturbing film based on a true story, starring Angelina Jolie and directed by Clint Eastwood |
The story, set in LA in 1928, starts when the mother, Christine Collins' little boy, Walter, goes missing. The police find him but Christine knows its not her boy and there her nightmare begins. The film explores "child endangerment, female disempowerment, political corruption, mistreatment of mental health patients, and the repercussions of violence". I read later the film is based on a true story, so yes, a nightmare indeed.
Friday came and that day saw me at the Quirón hospital in Pozuelo for my annual gynecological check up- well it was biannual because of laziness I'm afraid - mammograph and scan. These tests, together with a bone and smear test which I will be doing in March, are all part of what should be an annual gynecological check up, something all women should be doing. I call it my "MOT". In Spain women do it from an early age and that is a good thing. What is not good is the pain of the mammograph where your poor boobs are squashed so much it is unbearable. Men, luckily, don't have to go through that, although it is true that some men do get breast cancer. My appointment was at 9.45 but things were running late, even at this rather swanky private hospital, and we weren't out until past midday. Eladio and I celebrated my all clear, barring final results, over a cup of coffee. I asked the medical practitioner doing the the scan if all was ok and she said it was (sigh of relief). She told me that if it hadn't been ok, I would have left the hospital that day with an appointment for a biopsy. She seemed as pleased as me that all was well, telling me she hated finding lumps. I'm sure she hates them. Cancer scares us all. I always have my mother, brother and dear friend Fátima in my mind when I think of cancer.
Fátima is often on my mind and I miss her so. This week should have been the week of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and for many of the years I went, Fátima was there too when she worked for Nokia. We would always meet up or share rooms at my hotel. That morning Facebook reminded me once again of a memory with my best friend. It was a photo taken in Barcelona during one of the congresses. Here we are - during the 2012 edition - "pin and pon" as we were known.
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| Fátima and I at the 2012 edition of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. We always liked being there together. |
We had the pleasure of having Suzy with us for lunch that day and later I sat with my older daughter in the sun on the swimming pool terrace reading while she did her post lesson evaluations. At around 5.15 Eladio and I went on a very sunny walk. The weather has been marvelous this week but would take a turn for the worse this weekend, owing to Storm Jorge battering England, making its way to Spain. We could have escaped the rain and wind by going to Storm Jorge free Alicante where the temperatures are in the 20s but this week coming Oli and Elliot will be staying with us again and I don't want to miss precious time with my darling grandson. On Friday I got another great picture of little Elliot who is getting bigger and bigger hahaha. He is now nearly 9 kilos and not yet 6 months. A friend of mine who has an 11 month old baby told me he weighed less than 8 kilos and was a very bad eater. We don't have that worry with Elliot who loves his food. This week saw him try other fruit such as orange, mandarin, apple and even avocado, bless him.
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| Little Elliot on Friday this week |
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| One of the tables at the Moroccan restaurant |
When Elliot got tired, it was time to go. Each went there own way with Suzy staying behind as they hadn't finished their meal. We wouldn't see Elliot again until Monday. We came home to a quiet and guest free house. Of course we had missed the news but then again nothing would be new to us as both my husband and I follow it avidly on our phones during the day. Thus I was up to date on what was happening with the spread of the Coronavirus. That afternoon I had a quick appointment with my GP to get a prescription and I asked for his opinion, after all he is a doctor and would know more than I do. He agreed the panic levels were high, that the disease has a low mortality rate although the virus is an unknown quantity with little knowledge on how it could mutate. Some people who have had it have contracted it for a second time which is unusual. My doctor told me hoped that with the warm season coming, the virus should recede. I hope so too. Meanwhile that day, the WHO upgraded the global risk to "very high" begging countries to be prepared and for people to wash their hands often. Dr. Tedros, head of the organisation whose face and name are now well known all the world round, said we were not near a pandemic while admitting the virus had the potential to become one. His words "our greatest enemy right now is not the virus itself, it's fear, rumour and stigma" are words we should bear in mind. It's this fear that has lead to stock markets suffering their worst week since 2008. As to the statistics, on Friday when the first British death was reported, we learned that the virus had now spread to 60 countries. Containment is still the main measure to take but it disrupts life. The Mobile World Congress was not the only big exhibition and congress to be cancelled. On Friday the Swiss authorities announced the cancellation of the Geneva car show, the biggest in the world for the car industry. There are fears too about the Tokyo Olympics going ahead.
Saturday came. It was quiet day for us. It was only Suzy for lunch that day and we wouldn't see her again until today. Oli and Miguel went out with little Elliot to have lunch with some of Oli's colleagues from a TV programme she worked for a few years ago (Aquí en Madrid). Here she is with her little family.
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| Oli, Elliot and Miguel on an outing yesterday |
I was not particularly happy about another announcement yesterday, a peace treaty or agreement to remove US troops from Afghanistan. The worst thing of all is that it was a treaty agreed with the Taliban. The Taliban! It comes after 18 years of conflict. I do wonder what that means for life in Afghanistan, especially for women who perhaps are among the most repressed in the world. Cases like Harvey Weinstein and the likes are nothing compared with what they have to suffer. I always think how lucky I was to be born in the western world. Life is pot luck and always dependent on where you are born.
The Coronavirus continued to dominate the headlines and just as I thought I would have no guests this weekend for the first time ever, I think, I got a sudden booking that afternoon when we were on our walk. The name was an Italian one and I was worried stiff it was a guest from Italy. Thankfully it turned out it was a couple who live in Montreal. Vincenzo, no doubt of Italian origin, told me they lived in Quebec where there was only one case and that they had been travelling in the south of Spain for the last two weeks. They arrived last night very late while Eladio and I were watching the classical talent show "Prodigios" (prodigy children), a show we love and very different to normal talent shows. Because of my new guests' arrival I missed two of the numbers (:-(). They settled in Andy's room which they had booked and was free as he is away this weekend.
This morning they left early and our next guest won't be arriving until Tuesday. I couldn't remember where he was from and again breathed a sigh of relief when I saw he is French - for a moment I thought he was Italian. Dreadful that I have to discriminate because of Coranavirus.
Today should be another quiet day but next week promises to be fun as Elliot will be spending the week with us. Yesterday Oli sent us a photo of him trying an orange. What was funny about the photo is that I saw him using a food contraption I had never seen; a sort of dummy feeder. It has various names, among them, "munchkin", baby feeder, mesh feeder and in the US pacifier feeder (pacifier is the US equivalent to the English word dummy). It's a wonderful idea to start babies trying different food in a safe way. Here he is sucking a piece of orange with this new device. I wish I had had one for our girls when they were babies.
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| Elliot sucking happily on an orange with his "munchkin" |
Masha
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